''Madame Sans-Gêne'' is a 1911 silent French film set in the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

and during Napoleon's reign. It is based on the 1893 play of the same name.

Gabrielle Réjane Gabrielle Réjane (), ''née'' Gabrielle Charlotte Réju (6 June 1856 – 14 June 1920), was a French actress of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The daughter of a former actor, Réjane studied at the Conservatoire national supérieur d'ar ...

and Edmond Duquesne reprised their roles in the play; Réjane played the title character, a laundress who marries a man who becomes one of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

's field marshals (based on the real-life

Catherine Hübscher :''Catherine Lefebvre re-directs here. For the curler, see Catherine Lefebvre (curler)'' Catherine Hübscher (Goldbach-Altenbach, 2 February 1753 – 1835) was a First French Empire aristocrat, wife to François Joseph Lefebvre, Marshal of the E ...

), while Duquesne played Napoleon. Conflicting sources state the director was

André Calmettes André Calmettes (1861-1942) was a French actor and film director. Biography After being a theatre actor for twenty years, he joined the society ', founded in 1908 by the novelist and editor, at the urging of the Sociétaires of the Comédie-Fr ...

Henri Desfontaines Henri Desfontaines (12 November 1876, Paris – 7 January 1931, Paris) was a French film director, actor, and scriptwriter. Filmography As director * 1908 : ''Hamlet'' * 1909 : '' Le Puits et le pendule'' * 1910 : '' Un invité gênant'' * 1 ...

. According to Richard Abel, ''Madame Sans-Gêne'' is "still extant."

References

External links

* French black-and-white films French films based on plays French silent short films Depictions of Napoleon on film French historical films 1910s historical films Films based on works by Victorien Sardou 1910s French films {{1910s-France-film-stub